Pain's Illusion
by nikiallen0119
Summary: With the use of dark magic and the demons of ones mind, subconscious monsters are created and inflicted by Ebony Maw to torture the fallen prince, Loki Laufeyson, into submission for the Great Titan. Two young children on Midgard experience the same visions and feelings of every monster, revealing a connection no one ever wanted to discover.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hello to all my readers! For those of you reading my Loki series already on my page, I'm letting you know that this story does not relate to it at all. There may be some similar elements, but this story is actually a mini fic I have been posting on instagram ( lokis_leeches) to advertise my writing style and get people to read my actual series. This is far from my best work, and each part is pretty short. But it has gotten so much positive feedback that I decided to post it on here. i hope you all enjoy "Pain's Illusion"!**

"Remember, this is your salvation. Your mercy."

Ebony Maw's voice whispered in Loki's ear, tightening the chains that bound the fallen prince to the temple's stone wall. It was a fortress where all who served the Great Titan would be cleansed.

Loki had fasted for a week to prepare. He had no choice in the matter, and the weakness clouded his mind and judgment. Of course, his fall from the Bifrost had ended prematurely when Thanos discovered him, promised him a life of recognition, if only he was willing to serve. Even still, Loki started having doubts and an undeniable fear shallowed his breath. This wasn't right.

The chains dug into his pale wrists and ankles. They hung his bare arms above his head, high enough to restrict a bit of breathing. Maw stood before him, chanting in a language foreign to Loki, until he decided to speak.

"Salvation is always so graciously given to those who deserve it the least." Maw spoke smoothly. "But it always comes at a price… of something so beautiful." Reaching forward with his grey, gnarled hands, Maw touched Loki's forehead, and the prince's green eyes rolled back into their sockets.

Loki took a sharp breath and looked around himself. It was cold and dark, the depths of his subconscious. Whispers grazed his ears, like ghosts calling his name, but they were not. As a tingle ran up his spine, Loki quickly turned around to see if someone was there, watching him. He could see nothing but a dark horizon disappearing into a void.

He could hear his name being called clearly, now. Trudging forward, a strange darkness swept over him. He felt empty, abandoned. Something was wrong. Loki no longer wanted to stay, he wanted to get out. He regretted ever letting go!

The void swallowed him, the whispers growing louder until they were faint screams. Darkness spread, crawling up his arms and legs. With widened eyes, Loki tried to scratch it off. It only spread faster, filling him with a pain so excruciating he thought he would die.

A bloodcurdling scream escaped his paled lips and Loki fell to his knees, violently trembling. Begging for it to stop, his eyes watered. It only grew worse, the black crawling up to his face. Two eyes peered at him. The void was a monster, feasting on its prey.

Loki could feel it pull at his mind, pricking it apart and filling him with a searing heat that burned him from the inside out.

"Make it stop!" Loki shrieked, feeling as if thousands of tentacles were slithering through his brain. "Just kill me!"

Maw watched with a sadistic grin as Loki writhed in his chains before him. Trapped in his mind as Maw filled his head with monsters and body with pain, tears streamed down Loki's cold cheeks. The prince's veins glowed a bright orange as Maw only continued to fill them with a torturous heat.

As he whispered in a foreign tongue once more, Maw pressed his hand to Loki's forehead, making the prince's head droop unconsciously.

"Fetch me the mind stone." Maw told Proxima Midnight, who had entered only a few minutes prior to Loki's screams. "He is now ours."


	2. Chapter 2

"Eyes on the ball, Taymor!"

Asmond could hear his baseball coach shouting as he stood there at home base, concentrating. It was the last game of the season, and every practice during the entirety of fifth grade would pay off, he knew it. His feet shifted in the sand while his hands gripped the bat. The pitcher threw the ball.

With a pounding heart, Asmond swung, his bat making contact with the ball, hitting it over the fence. A home run! As the crowd stood up to cheer, Asmond made a gracious run around the bases, lifting his arms up in victory.

The team hoisted him up on their shoulders, shouting his name. They had won the last game of the season. Looking out into the crowd of people, Asmond searched for the one person he wanted to be there. His mother. She had only ever made it to one practice, able to pull away from her job for a moment. To find her face absent from the crowd made Asmond's heart throb.

Adjusting his cap to shield him from the baking sun, he met up with his friends after the team meeting, holding a bag of stuff over his shoulders.

"Ready to go out for some ice cream?" One of his friends asked with a smile.

"Sure, Lincoln." Asmond replied, unable to shake the disappointment from his mother failing to show up.

"Your mom's cool with it, right?" His other friend, Carter, asked.

Asmond shrugged. "She won't care." He said. "She didn't even come to the game…"

"So that's why you're down." Lincoln stated, grabbing his bike. "Let's just go. The ice cream should make you feel better."

The boys rode off, away from the ballpark and down the street. Their suburban town in New York was small. Asmond has explored it inside and out. Nothing ever changed.

Five minutes of riding and there they were, ordering ice cream to their hearts' desires. With a cone of mint chocolate chip in hand, Asmond sat at an outside table, licking his desert and watching the cars drive down a nearby road.

"Man, that home run you hit was sick!" Carter congratulated as he sat down at the table.

"You're dead right." Lincoln agreed, trying to lick his already melting cone of chocolate vanilla twist.

"I just practiced really hard." Asmond admitted, the wind blowing through his black hair. "I remember when I could barely hold the bat right. I know I was like, six, but I didn't quit. My mom says it's important to never give up."

"Dude, all moms and dads say that." Carter stated, playfully rolling his eyes.

"So, are we all up for gaming tonight?" Lincoln asked, ice cream dripping down his chin.

Carter nodded. "I'm free!"

"Oh good. My mom might want me to go to bed early because my sister has this early music competition, but I'm sure I can sneak some extra time. What about you, Asmond?" Lincoln's brows furrowed. "Asmond?"

Asmond was turned away, staring at the road with a blank stare, letting his ice cream melt in the sun. Both Carter and Lincoln crowded around him, calling his name but he could not hear it.

"Asmond?!" Carter shouted. "Can you hear me? Are you okay?!" He could see the tears pooling in Asmond's green eyes and they fell down his pale cheeks as he whimpered. Then he collapsed, unconscious as his head hit the hard cement.

"ASMOND!" Lincoln yelled, stepping on the dropped ice cream cone.

"Lincoln, go get help, something is wrong!" Carter shouted. "Hurry!" He watched as the boy ran into the ice cream shop, calling anxiously for help. Carter panted as he looked down at his unconscious friend. "Just hang in there, dude… help is coming."


	3. Chapter 3

No mother ever wants to hear the news of their child having been urgently rushed to the hospital in an ambulance. Experiencing just that, it was a living nightmare for January Taymor. She drove down the road, ignoring the speed limit signs. A strange fog began to settle as the sun set, only adding to her own clouded mind. Heart thumping, she was indescribably worried for Asmond.

January parked the car clumsily, nearly taking up two empty spots before rushing inside, bringing immediate attention to herself. She demanded to see her son. Nurses came rushing over, agreeing to bring her to Asmond if she only calmed down.

With a numb mind, January hurried down the cold hallways and into the hospital room, just as Asmond was regaining consciousness.

"I assume you're Miss Taymor?" A doctor asked as he checked Asmond's vitals.

"I-I am." January responded, her mouth dry and voice quivering. "How is he?"

"Just coming to." The doctor said with a faint smile. "But we honestly can't find anything physically wrong with him."

"M-Mom?" Asmond croaked out.

January rushed to his side, her eyes glossing over. Taking his hand in hers, she sat on the edge of his bed.

"Hey sweetheart." She spoke in a whisper. "Can you… tell me what happened?" The doctor stood nearby, wanting to listen to what the boy had to say in reply.

"I don't… know." Asmond said, trying to think. "It's all blurry. I just remember getting ice cream."

"Well something must have happened." January pressed. "Do you remember what you felt?"

"I…" Asmond furrowed his brows, trying to remember. It was hard, and it almost hurt to recall the memories. His chest tightened. "I was scared…"

"Oh I'm sure you were, it was a scary thing that happened." January replied with pooling tears, brushing some dark hair out of his face. "I'm sorry I couldn't be there. The meeting went longer than I expected, I was planning on making it to–"

"No, I mean… I was scared… and that made me get hurt. It's hard to explain, but I… I think… I think I remember seeing… a dark, shadowy… monster. And once I felt afraid it… it grabbed me and… and it hurt me… but it was always a feeling inside me. I couldn't see him hurting me… like it was all in my head."

Frowning, the doctor asked, "Have you had this before?"

"No…" Asmond mumbled. "I passed out when the monster touched my head."

January's eyes were widened in fear. This wasn't normal. Asmond had always been a healthy boy with nothing mentally or physically abnormal.

"We've done tests and scans… all we know is that Asmond is a bit weak from the shock." The doctor explained. "He'll recover quickly… but when he comes home, I advise you to keep an eye on this. If it happens again… bring him back."

Nodding, January looked from the doctor to her son. Her blue eyes locked with Asmond's green ones, assuring him with a look that he would be alright. It was a promise she intended to keep.


	4. Chapter 4

"What are you going to do with this?" Proxima asked Maw, handing him over the glowing mind stone.

"Take hold of his vulnerable mind." Maw replied as if stating the obvious. He continued, "The stone's energy is raw and uncontained. A scepter is being made as a stronghold for it, but for now, I am its casing, and through me, its power can be used."

Muttering a few incoherent words, Maw extended his hand towards Loki, a glowing aura admitting from the prince, whose stare was blank and almost lifeless as he could not perceive what was happening. Tears stained his cheeks.

"What is this…?" Proxima wondered as the aura floated in front of them, creating a sphere of light.

"This… is his soul." Maw stated. "His poor, weakened soul, tarnished and battered by the fate of this cruel universe." He pricked and pulled at the light, and Loki's face contorted it pain.

Proxima watched as other rays of light appeared to join Loki's, entwining and intercepting as they strangely pulsed. Maw's eyes widened in awe, reaching towards the light.

"Incredible…" he whispered as he felt the energy from the pulsing light. "It is a heartbeat… a soul connected to his."

Proxima frowned, "How did that happen?"

"It is someone he is connected to… by blood or purely the heart… but it has become a part of him, whether he knows it or not."

"He may even deny it. Liesmith that he is, he only tries to appear strong. This proves just the opposite of that. He has… a connection with another soul."

Maw chuckled, "Exactly."

Holding the stone in one hand, Maw closed his eyes, concentrating as he placed his hand on Loki's cold forehead. The energy flowed through his veins as he reached deep into the prince's mind, using the power of the stone to latch on. It would influence him, control him, make him a slave to the Titan.

"Submission… is the purest form of loyalty." Maw whispered slowly, eyes opening to look into Loki's, their color now a faint blue.

"Why waste all your time and energy on this man?" Proxima demanded. "You have already proven how weak he really is. He broke during the cleanse quicker than most, and now his mind is collapsing. How is he the one to retrieve the Tesseract?"

"The power of the stone will be granted to The Other." Maw replied nonchalantly. "Those with the weakest souls are the most perceivable. They are soft and tender, able to be molded and shaped like clay, made into whatever we desire. Loki is the perfect example. We break him, only to put him back together into who we want. It is the most beautiful example of a redemption."

Proxima opened her mouth to reply, but her eyes caught sight of the light in front of her. Eyes widening, she exclaimed. "Ebony, look!"


	5. Chapter 5

Days came and went, slowly. They dragged on, even as Asmond returned to the comforts of the small suburban home he shared with his mother and grandmother. January had insisted that her son should stay in bed and miss school for the next week. Of course Asmond would never argue against that, but confinement to a bed became a living nightmare. He would hear the neighborhood kids playing in their backyards; even Lincoln and Carter would drive by on their bicycles. Of course, they were kind enough to stop in and visit at times, but that only eased Asmond's loneliness temporarily. No matter how much his mother worried, not even she could take time off of work to spend with him.

The afternoon sun shone through Asmond's bedroom curtains as he laid in bed, tossing a baseball up in the air and catching it as it came down. The days were dull, filled with frustration and worry. He tried to forget, as hard as he could, the monster he had seen. Remembering the feeling that had come upon him before the sight, Asmond shivered. Every nightmare had come to life in that one moment. Even death had whispered in his ear. No one knew why. That frightened him the most.

It was too beautiful of a day to be cooped up indoors. He knew that. With his mother gone and grandmother most likely reading a book in the front room, it would be easy to sneak out. Getting up from his bed and approaching the window, he slowly opened it, climbing out and going for a walk into town. The breeze was wonderful, rustling through his raven black hair, and the sun enveloped him in a warm embrace.

Asmond's thoughts trailed with each step he took. The further he meandered into the town, the further in touch he became with reality. He could hear the monster's cackling, screams of terror and fright. He could feel the cold shivers of the fear and the tentacles crawling up his spine. The world around him grew cold and dark. Fear froze him in place until he couldn't breathe. This was where he would die. The moon was blood red, the wind now bitter and cold.

"Submission…" the monsters kept on whispering. "Submission…" Asmond squeezed his eyes shut.

They opened again, revealing the busy town. In place of the monster stood a little girl, arms wrapped around herself. She looked battered and frightened, eyes darting here and there. Asmond swallowed his fear and slowly walked up to the girl.

"H-Hello?" He called out. The girl didn't seem to notice him.

"Hey." He said as he touched her shoulder and she jumped back, whimpering. "Hey I'm… not gonna hurt you…"

Her green eyes were wide, black hair draping down her shoulders. Eyes bearing into his, they said something inconceivable. She took a few steps back before running off.

"Wait!" Asmond shouted, immediately chasing after her.


	6. Chapter 6

Running further into the town, Asmond chased the girl, pushing through crowds to keep her in sight. The bright sun was blinding as they ran towards it, and soon, he caught up with her,

"Hey!" He called, grabbing her arm. "I was just trying to say hi."

Looking at him in fear and confusion, the girl's eyes bore into his. Of course, Asmond was also confused as to why he felt compelled to chase after her. Perhaps it was how odd she seemed. Her face was smeared in dirt, her pale brown dress was battered and torn. She even carried a few scars on her neck and small ones on her face.

"What happened to you?" He asked very slowly. "Are you in trouble? Do you need help?" She only stared at him in reply, not saying a single word. Asmond could see how frail she was, as if she hadn't eaten in days. The girl, with fear imminently taking over, kept taking slow steps back, her eyes glued to Asmond.

"Wait… please stay." He begged, and she stopped moving. "I want to help you." There was a pause, and a silent stare was held between them.

"I'm afraid, too." He suddenly admitted without warning. His honesty was a surprise to even himself, but he let the words spill out. "I can tell you're afraid. Afraid of the unknown. So am I. But… when we need help, we should go get it. Do you… want to come back with me to my house? It's safe there." He held his hand out, hoping she would take it. With a slow, subtle nod that showed her understanding, the girl took his hand, trembling as she did so. They began the slow trek to Asmond's house.

His grandmother opened the door as soon as they arrived. Asmond's eyes widened, mouth immediately opening for the lies to spill out.

"No more stories, Asmond." His grandmother scolded, letting the two children in. "What did you do this time?"

"I went for a walk." He mumbled with a sigh. "I just couldn't stay in my room anymore, okay? I… almost had the feeling again… but then I saw her."

His grandmother's attention had already caught sight of the young girl, and a look of sympathy overtook her facial expressions. She was no longer cross.

"Hello there, little one." She spoke softly, slowly approaching the girl. "What brings you here?"

Eyes widening in fear, the girl darted away, hiding behind the living room sofa, whimpering.

"I don't know why she's so skittish, Grandma." Asmond told her. "I don't even know how I convinced her to come here."

"Well, what did you tell her?" She asked.

"I told her that it was a safe place." He replied, looking towards the sofa where the girl disappeared behind. "I only found her standing in the middle of the sidewalk. I'm not sure where she's from. She won't talk."

Asmond's grandmother bit her lower lip in deep thought, immediately going to the phone to call January, telling her to come home right away. Asmond, on the other hand, decided to try again with the young girl.

Kneeling down in front of the small entrance behind the sofa, he peered at her, and she gasped at the sight of him.

"It's okay!" He assured. "I won't hurt you, I promise." The girl nodded very slowly, giving Asmond some hope. "Are you lost?" He asked. She only stared in reply, looking from him to the floor. "We can help you find your way back home." He continued. "I can't imagine being away from my home all on my own. Away from my mom and grandma… and all my friends. I would hate it, honestly. Where do you live?" She looked to the floor and her eyes stayed there. "I suppose you can't talk, then…" Asmond muttered, frowning a bit. "I've never met anyone who couldn't talk. I can imagine it being scary to not be able to tell someone when you're in trouble. But then, I wouldn't have a problem lying to my mom."

"Submission." The girl muttered softly, cutting Asmond off.

He froze, his heart racing. "What?" She looked him dead in the eyes, her lips uttering the word again. "Submission."


	7. Chapter 7

Pushing the door open and striding in, January sighed exasperatedly.

"You know, you really freaked me out, Mum!" She said, confronting her mother in the kitchen. "Telling me Asmond was sneaking out and he brought home a lost child?!"

"Jan, calm yourself." Her mother scolded. "I've corrected Asmond for his disobedience. The real matter at hand is the girl–"

"I trusted you to keep a better eye on him. Not let him sneak out! I can't be at home long enough to set him straight. He's not well yet for any of this, I know it!"

Asmond stood at the entrance of the kitchen. His eyes were wide and struck with fear, searching his mother for comfort.

"Asmond!" January whispered, immediately pulling him into a loving embrace. Kneeling down in front of him and brushing some dark strands of long hair from his face, her expression became full of remorse and worry for her son. "Are you alright, darling?"

"I…" Asmond's voice shook, trying to find the right words, but for the first time, he could not. "This… whole day is just… really scary." He finally replied, eyes glossed over as he hugged his mother.

"Just as the other days have been for us." January said, softly.

"Did you leave your little friend all alone in the living room?" Asmond's grandmother inquired, growing worried at the silence.

"Y-Yeah…" Admitted Asmond, his gaze wavering.

"Can I meet her?" January asked. "I want to find out where she's from."

"She won't talk, Mom." Asmond responded quickly. "Not really, anyway. I… I couldn't get her to tell me anything."

"She hasn't tried me, yet." January's voice grew determined and she stood up, walking into their small, gray living room.

Searching behind the sofa, they soon discovered that the little girl was no longer hiding there. They could not find any trace or sign of where she could have gone, so they frantically began to search. Asmond looked around the upstairs bedrooms and his grandmother tried the bathroom. January went into the laundry room and then towards the basement, where she found the door to the stairs had been opened, which was never the case. Asmond hated the dark and never went down into its frightening abyss. January knew the girl had to be down there.

The stairs creaked with each step she took, and even she was relieved to find the light switch, illuminating the damp, underground room that had been filled with forgotten things, some more pleasant than others. Continuing her search, she looked behind boxes and under the pool table. There was still no sign of the girl.

She heard a rustle and looked at a pile of blankets, making out the slightest shape of a curled up child. The last thing she wanted was to frighten the girl, so she slowly approached the pile, gently lifting the blankets… and there she was.

Her beady, green eyes peered back with such fear and confusion, and a whimper escaped as she tried to dart away.

"Oh, sweetie!" January called out, reaching for her, hand brushing her arm. The touch froze the girl in her tracks, January's being so trusting. They shared a silent stare, January seeing something in the girl that sparked a fuzzy memory. One she could not define, yet she could feel it surfacing… then dying away.

"Hello, sweetie." She spoke calmly, hoping to ease the girl who stood visibly tense. "I'm not here to hurt you." January assured. "I only want to help. You're safe here, with us, I promise." Holding out her hand, the girl took it, shaking. January saw something deeper in her eyes. Something beyond fear. Betrayal, unwanted control, pain…

The girl muttered a few strange words in a foreign language, swallowing cries and pushing back tears in resistance, the lights flickering around them as she did so. January knew… there was something about this girl she needed to know.


	8. Chapter 8

Sitting across from the girl at their kitchen table, Asmond watched her every move with the utmost curiosity. Her eyes searched the room, scanning everything, yet overlooking the people who stood there. Not even the activity that took place could grab her attention long enough to keep her gaze fixed.

"I was sure I bought jam!" January exclaimed in exasperation, frantically searching the fridge.

"You must have forgotten it." Her mother told her, earning a frustrated sigh in return.

"Peanut butter toast will have to do." Mumbled January as she went to preparing the food for her son and the young girl, who was now staring at her frail hands.

Asmond did not know whether to be afraid or intrigued. The girl's gaze was blank, yet so knowing, so full of knowledge that no child her age should carry. Untold burdens kept hidden, secrets turned to unspoken lies. It was as if he could see there was something to tell that she could not, or chose not to. Whatever the case may be, Asmond watched as January put a plate of toast in front of the girl, and peanut butter toast in front of him.

He smiled and turned to her. "Thanks, mom."

As if unamused or at all uninterested, the girl stared at the food, hands folded neatly in her lap.

"Aren't you going to eat it?" Asmond asked, and her head snapped up at the sound of his voice. Cocking her head to the side a bit in confusion, her brows furrowed. "You eat it. Like this." Asmond continued, picking up a piece of his toast and taking a bite, licking his lips afterwards. The girl, hesitant but hungry, began to slowly lift the toast to her mouth. After taking a bite, she devoured every crumb like a starving animal.

"Poor soul…" January's mother spoke lowly to her, watching her every move. "If only we knew where she came from."

January agreed. The girl was most definitely lost, starved, and in one way or another, abused, whether physically, emotionally or both. It made her eyes gloss over. Who could torture a child so young? She was no older than Asmond, around ten or eleven years old.

Grabbing her cell phone, January knew the police needed to interfere. There was nothing more they could do to help the lost child.

"What are you doing?" Her mother asked, watching her frantically try to dial the number.

"I'm calling the police." January responded, attempting to hide the quaver in her voice. "What more can we do for this girl? She won't speak to us. She could have been abducted for all we know!"

Gently grabbing the cellphone out of January's hand, her mother responded with a soft smile, "Let's just wait… one more day. I don't believe calling the police at this time would be the right approach. We promised the girl she was safe here, and calling the authorities might disrupt the peace we promised."

January's brows furrowed in confusion, but her mother was always the wise voice of reason. Of course she would be the one to have all the right answers. Putting her phone down on the counter, she took her word for it.

"Can I have some milk, Grandma?" Asmond spoke up, to which his grandmother replied,

"_May _you have some?"

Sighing and hiding a slight eye roll, Asmond mumbled back, "_May _I have some milk, Grandma?"

"Certainly." Pouring him a glass, she turned to the girl. "Would you like some?"

"No." The girl replied plainly, making all three heads snap in her direction.

"So she _can_ talk!" January exclaimed, but the sudden excitement seemed to make the child nervous.

"Don't be scared!" Asmond said, purely out of compassion as he saw her face contort in distress. "We're just surprised, that's all. You should talk more often."

Looking away from Asmond and down, the girl processed his words. The remaining crumbs sat there on her plate. Licking them off, she looked up and demanded, "More."


	9. Chapter 9

"Sit still, please." January said to the squirming girl as she tried to wipe the dirt off of her face. "You won't take a bath, at least let me clean you."

With a frustrated grunt, the child tried her best to pull away, treating the wet rag as some form of a disease. January grew frustrated, trying her very best to maintain the stubborn little girl. It grew later by the minute, and Asmond was already setting up a sleeping bag in the living room.

"I'm back!" Asmond's grandmother called out as she made an entrance through the front door, carrying a couple bags of new clothing from the store. "I hope these will fit her."

"Thank you, Mum!" January called back, struggling to keep her hold on the girl, but finally able to wipe her face. "There's no use fighting me." She told the child. "Hygiene is important, you'll learn that soon enough."

"No!" The girl shouted, pushing her away with a strength that appalled January. It was a strong, unexpected force. "No submission." The girl repeated, grabbing the rag from January and wiping the rest of her face. She then threw the washcloth onto the floor and marched into the living room, hands clenched into little fists.

"Someone looks ready to take on an army." Asmond's grandmother spoke with a kind laugh. "Would you like to pick out some pajamas?"

Unsurety had been replaced with frustration on the child's face, but she approached the bag of clothes anyway, dumping them out and grabbing the one and only light pink nightgown. It may have been a bit too long, but the grandmother showed her to the bathroom anyway, letting her change into her new selection of clothing.

"I am convinced," January began with a sigh as she entered the living room herself, "that child doesn't like me."

"She's barely known us for twelve hours, I don't think she likes any of us yet." Her mother replied with a soft smile.

January crossed her arms, frustratingly exclaiming, "During these few hours, she has thrown peanut butter at me, knocked over a lamp, has ignored only me entirely, wouldn't let me clean her and now pushed me over!"

"Jan… listen to me. It is clear that she has come from a troubled life. You are the only one with firm directions and a will to get her to respond the way you want her to. She is nowhere near the same child as Asmond was. He was very responsive to you. But when it comes to struggling children, they need time, they need love." January's mother lowered her voice, "And please… don't let any of this get in the way from caring for your son. He nearly had another episode this morning, he is far from better."

Eyes glossing over, January nodded, going over to the kitchen to clean.

"At least Mom is finally giving her attention to something other than work…" Asmond mumbled to himself, fluffing a pillow and plopping it down at the head of the sleeping bag. The girl walked out of the bathroom, approaching where Asmond sat. Her head cocked to the side and she pointed.

"Sleep?"

"Oh! Yeah!" Asmond replied, smiling. "This is your bed, for now. You can sleep here."

Nodding, the child climbed in, laying on her back and looking up at the ceiling, muttering in a soft voice, "Silence is mandatory."

"Asmond, you should go to bed as well." His grandmother told him, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder. With a nod, he obeyed, trying to hide his tightening chest and the void of fear and whispers in his ears, calling him to their wake. Brushing his teeth and rinsing his mouth, he shook his head from the blur. A numbness took over, the world moved below him. Maybe he was more tired than he realized, and all would be well in the morning.

Crawling into bed, he gripped the sheets, his body feeling weightless, yet also sinking through the bed. His mind begged to open his eyes, to see what was happening. But they would not. They were heavy, held shut as the abyss called him, dragged him into its never ending darkness. He awoke in his subconscious once more.

"M-Mom…?" He called out weakly, standing up and looking around. All was dark. A cold and bitter wind blew around him, carrying the voices of fear and death. Walking into the void, he could no longer just feel the monster. He saw it with his own two eyes, freezing him in his tracks. His heart thumped until he was sure it would leap from his chest. The monster stood before him, white eyes searching his soul. Long, black tentacles reached out for him.

Stepping out from inside the horrendous creature was a man, hidden by the overcasting shadow of the monster. Asmond was too afraid to move or call out, but the man approached him, stumbling at first, but then he stood straight, and amidst the shadows, Asmond could see the man, his features sharp, his skin like porcelain; raven black hair draped down his shoulders, two long horns curled off of the helmet on his head. It wasn't until the staff the man held began to glow, that the monster reached forward and devoured them both.

...

"NO!" Asmond screamed, sitting up in his bed, cold sweat dripping from him. It had all been a dream. His clock read half after midnight. Hours had gone by.

"Afraid?" The voice of the girl asked from beside his bed and he yelped, having not noticed her.

"H-How long have you been standing there?" He asked, clutching at his chest. She didn't reply.

Reaching forward and pressing her hand to his forehead, a look of deep understanding crossed her face. Asmond did not know what she was doing, but he felt soothed, his mind easing from the monsters.

"Monsters come." She finally spoke again. "Subconscious mind demons. He sends them."

"Who sends them?" Asmond asked. "You know what these things are?"

She nodded. "I know."

"How do you know?"

The girl had no answer. She stayed silent, looking into his eyes and revealing her vulnerability, her own fears. The moonlight through Asmond's window allowed him to see everything.

"What are you afraid of?" Asmond wanted to know, the emotion imminent inside her.

"Bad people." She admitted, looking down.

"Bad people? Like, bad guys the police catch?"

"Bad people that hurt me." She said, shifting her feet. "They made me talk to the monsters. Now I feel them. Everywhere."

A chill ran up Asmond's spine at that. He frowned deeply, pulling the covers closer.

"Submission." The girl whispered, looking back up. "Don't let it."


	10. Chapter 10

"On your feet!" Proxima spat, roughly taking the chains off of Loki's wrists and ankles. The prince sat there, slumped as his blue eyes swarmed with pain. His pale lips quivered, his nose dripped blood. "I said on your feet!" The female shouted again, kicking his ribs with a cold stare that refused to shift. "A leader indeed…" she teased, pulling him up by the hair, forcing him to stand and approach Ebony Maw. A painful moan escaped Loki's lips, the blood dripping over his mouth and down his chin. Maw carelessly wiped the red away, numbing Loki's body from the pain with the aid of his magic. Such weakness must be discarded after the cleanse.

"Our Master grows tired of waiting." A new voice hissed. The voice of The Other. He approached where the three of them stood, his stiff movements made even Proxima shiver. She knew his position with Thanos, yet Maw appeared unphased by his presence.

"Does Thanos not understand the length of the cleansing process?" The sorcerer questioned, striding before the Great Titan's servant.

The Other growled, "You shall address him as your Master!" A silent stare was held. Huffing, he looked over at Loki. "Pitiful. You have all failed him. He does not look ready to lead!"

"You have never been subject to the mind demons." Maw replied. "And he will be ready."

"Our Master is ready for the prince now! Returning empty handed is out of the question."

Maw sighed, straightening. "Let us hope his patience does not grow weary. I need more time."

"Our time is limited! And his patience with you has greatly weakened."

"Thanos will have no choice but to wait." Proxima cut in. "He would not want a weakened soldier, would he? Explain to him the matter fully. Not in the tales you tell."

"Loki is regaining his strength as we speak. Give our Master this message." Maw's gaze lightened. His respect for the Titan had not lessened by any means, and he wished for The Other to reveal just that. Pressing his gray hands to The Other's head, he slowly fed the words in a whisper, "The Tesseract… has awakened. It is on a little world, a human world. They would wield its power, but our ally knows its workings as they never will. He is ready to lead, and our force, our Chitauri, will follow. A world will be his. A universe… yours. And the humans? What can they do but burn?" The Other jolted and took a step back, regaining his bearings as he let the words sink in. "I promise you," Maw concluded before The Other departed, "Loki will be ready by the light of both moons."

From the darkness, Corvus Glaive marched in, soldiers following suite. "We have come to take Loki to the Sanctuary." He spoke in a low voice, looking over at Proxima, who was holding tightly into Loki's arm. With a nod, Maw waved his hand, Loki's armor reappearing on his body. The sorcerer held his helmet, turning to the broken prince, whose eyes begged for help, but his body was ready for the war.

"Remember every word the demons whispered to you." Maw commanded, close enough for Loki to feel his stale breath. "In order for you to rule, you must obey." Handing Loki his helmet, he concluded, "Do not let the Master down. Just… submit." The prince's blue eyes glowed with undeniable superbia. A new god of mischief was born before the Black Order.

Loki was taken to the Sanctuary, head held high, mind narrowed only to his mission. Climbing the steps to the hovering throne, he could see where Thanos sat, expression unreadable.

"The Other tells me that more time is needed before you are ready." The Titan said, his voice low.

"It was rather a swift preparation." Loki answered, his gaze unwavering. "But, your wish is my command." He spoke these last words in a mocking tone.

Thanos frowned. "You are aware of your duties. I trust Maw embedded them within your mind."

"Indeed. And it is quite pitiful that the Tesseract _must _be on Midgard, but given that my brother loves the little world so much, it would be my utmost joy taking it from him."

"Master," The Other approached from the shadows, "The scepter is ready."

Loki saw the staff, engraved in gold, with a blue enchantment encasing a power he could sense.

"This I give to you, my servant." Thanos' voice grew. "With the scepter, you will begin your task. Through it, The Other shall speak to you as you shall speak to others, making them your slaves with the touch of its tip." He leaned forward in his stone chair. "Do you understand the power you will hold?"

"More than you would know." Loki spoke softly in reply, a smile pulling at his lips. "Send me. I need not wait any longer."

"You cannot." The Other hissed. "Maw requires more time with you, and in that time, you shall learn the ways of the scepter."

"Ah yes." Loki answered quietly. "Such magic must be used wisely."

His eyes met with the glow of the scepter as it was placed into his hands. Despite the numb in his body, he could feel his veins coarse with the newfound power. His eyes raged in a fiery madness. This was all his.

The darkness swallowed. At last, the monsters had won. He need not hold any sentiment or guilt for what had happened in the past. This was his true redemption, just as Ebony Maw has said. The old Loki, the prince of Asgard was dead. A god of mischief lived in his place. A leader. A king.

Looking up towards the Great Titan once more, Loki bowed, afterwards being lead away for his relentless training to begin, for more of his soul to be taken away. A small price to pay… to be a king.


	11. Chapter 11

Sitting at his desk, brows furrowed and forehead creased in thought, the county officer looked between January and the young girl seated before him.

"And when did you find her again?" He asked.

"About two weeks ago, sir." January replied, her voice soft as she looked down at the young child, who had grown increasingly comfortable in her company. "We were unsuccessful in getting information on where she is from, who her parents are or anything like that."

The officer frowned and looked solely at the young girl. "Can you at least tell me your name, kid?"

The girl cowered away, burying her face in January's shoulder, which remained the nearest comfort.

"Sorry…" January replied, her expression apologetic enough. "She's shy, it's a wonder we can get her to say anything around us. But… she loves dresses… so I've just been calling her 'Princess'."

A smile tugged at the corners of the officer's lips at that.

At last snapping back into the realm of his job, the officer heaved a sigh. "There haven't been any reports of a missing child. The best we can do is have you send in a DNA test and we can go from there in figuring out who she belongs to."

January nodded, pressing her lips together. Just the mere thought of sending the girl away to whoever first abandoned her made her stomach churn. "And if she doesn't find her family?"

"She will be enrolled in the foster care system." Came the confident reply.

The meeting had been concluded, and with a gentle grip on the girl's hand, January walked out of the police station with an expression no one else could read. She felt it inside of her. It was a tug at her heart, refusing to let go of the child, but preparing to have to anytime soon.

"Are we going home?" The girl's little voice asked softly, having grown to trust January enough to speak.

January nodded, touched that she would call their place "home". "We are."

They both entered the car where Asmond was waiting, playing on a tablet and only looking up to see the two that had arrived.

"You're finally back." He said with a sigh of relief as the girl climbed into the back seat with him. "Any luck?"

"We know what to do next." January responded, backing out of the driveway and beginning the ride home. "That's the important thing. We're one step closer to finding Princess' forever home." The car grew utterly silent and remained so during the entire car ride.

It was a blur. The ride home filled January's mind with thoughts that haunted her. The girl's abnormal behavior from the first day, her state when they found her, and why she felt so connected to the child. Every look into her little green eyes would say it all. Those were eyes she had forgotten, but eyes that filled her with all the hope in the universe. Eyes that said more than words could ever say. How could she just let this child go?

"Mom…" Asmond moaned after they pulled up to the house and began getting out of the car, "I feel sick."

January locked the vehicle and put her arms around him. "Sick? How?"

"My stomach hurts…" He paled just a little.

"We'll get some Ginger Ale for you, alright?" January lead Asmond into the house and helped him to lay on the sofa, speaking quickly. "Let me know if it gets worse."

Slowly taking off her shoes, the girl watched Asmond carefully, her demeanor cautious. There was a soft mumbling of a hushed conversation coming from the kitchen and Asmond curled up from where he lay. She hesitantly approached him, frowning at how his face was scrunched up.

"How bad does it hurt?" She asked, her tone quiet and gentle while kneeling beside the sofa.

"R-Really bad." Asmond groaned, arms wrapped around himself. "I might throw up."

The girl didn't know what he meant by that, quite naive to some of the simplest of terms. She cocked her head to the side.

"Jan, you need to breathe." January's mother coaxed in a quiet manner from the kitchen. "Stressing about this matter will not help."

"I'm trying, Mum. Please let me be." Popping a can open, January began to pour the ginger ale into a glass, a bit of fizz nearly bubbling over. "Every time Asmond gets sick I… I worry. He hasn't gotten better, we only try to hide the fact that it's getting worse."

"But at least we have hope that he will get better. I know he will."

"No, Mum, you don't know! None of us do. Princess is the only one who can feel when he's in pain, Asmond's told me that she knows about the… monsters, or whatever he calls them. I don't know how or why, but I need answers, and I need them now. It's been over a month, I can't handle these agonizing questions and this situation that we can't understand. I want my son to be well… I want to know why it hurts so much to even _think_ of letting Princess go. A-And there is no one to help me. Not even you."

January's voice quieted to a whisper as tears pooled in her eyes. Her mother stared back with a face of guilt and shame, her own eyes saying that she was willing to help.

With her lower lip quivering, January grew ready to burst into tears. Her chest was tight and her mind fogged up with such fear and worry.

"There are some things even I cannot undo." Her mother mumbled lowly. Brows furrowing, January opened her mouth to question the statement, but it was cut off by a scream of pain.

Asmond curled up while screaming, the girl looking towards the kitchen with frightened eyes, hoping someone would come.

"Asmond?!" January rushed out without the glass of ginger ale.

Her mother followed, kneeling by Asmond's side while urgently asking, "Where does it hurt?"

"_It hurts everywhere!_" He shrieked, tears streaming down his pale cheeks.

January pulled him into her trembling arms, shouting for her mother to call an ambulance.

"Asmond!" She cried as her son writhed and moaned, his eyes threatening to roll back into their sockets. "Asmond, look at me! You have to look at me!" His green eyes were gray and blank, whimpers escaping his chapped lips as if he was seeing something no one else could.

"He'll come soon." The girl's voice spoke up as she approached January and Asmond, her voice quivering as if she was fighting tears of her own. "We're not safe here. None of us are."

The minute Asmond began to violently throw up, January grew visibly pale.


	12. Chapter 12

There was a time when January believed giving birth to Asmond was the scariest moment of her life. Now, the fear of losing him became an all too frightening reality.

They had called an ambulance. Asmond moaned, writhed, screamed in pain. January's mother stayed behind with the girl. Everything became a blur as the air grew heavy and remained so.

"Asmond, I'm here! I'm here!" January called from beside the stretcher, running with it down the hospital halls and keeping up with the nurses, despite how much her body trembled. Tears spilled down her cold cheeks.

Asmond shrieked, crying out in pain and begging for help, his words blubbering together in an incoherent mass of agony. January could make out fragments of his sentences, some describing the hints of monsters in his vision. Others spoke of a man and various faceless creatures. He screamed for her, asking where she was, even when looking right at her face. When looking into his eyes, she saw such a fog, such a blank stare looking back at her. His consciousness had been stolen and taken elsewhere, to a world she did not know and could not go to. It left her feeling _terrified_.

"They're burning me!" Asmond wailed, tears streaking his pale cheeks as his back arched. "_It hurts_!" They wheeled him into a room.

"His temperature is dropping fast!" A nurse yelled as Asmond's stomach pumped, vomit erupting from his mouth. January stood off to the side in a fit of horror, hands clamped over her mouth as she cried. The room was in chaos.

"Asmond, where does it hurt?" The head nurse demanded, only getting incoherent wails for a response. "Warm him up, he's too cold!"

"Get the IVs!"

"Asmond, can you hear me?!"

"His heart rate and blood pressure is too high!"

The commands sounded like screams. Nothing made sense, nothing felt real. It was overwhelming, and January felt helpless to save her son.

"I-I'm sorry!" She cried, hand reaching to hold his but a nurse kept her back, threatening to push her out of the room if she would not let them work. "That's my son!"

"DON'T TAKE ME!" Asmond's voice was a shrill cry, his muscles tense while his eyes rolled in their sockets… and then he collapsed.

…

Asmond remained unconscious. His mother refused to leave his bedside. The hours sped by, the sun beginning to set with the dwindling chaos. Tests were run, blood was drawn. No answers were given. Not yet.

"Jan…?" The soft voice of January's mother accompanied the opening door. She entered with the girl trailing not too far behind.

"Mum!" January stood up, stumbling over to her as she wiped her eyes. "H-How long has it been?"

"Five hours since you left." Her mother explained.

"He's been out that long. Th-They can't seem to wake him." Tears pooled.

No one seemed to pay any mind as the girl approached Asmond, brows furrowing while she kneeled beside the bed and grabbed his hand. She understood pain.

"Mum," January began, looking into the eyes of her mother, seeing something new stir in her soul, "is everything alright?"

Her mother sighed, "I… am not entirely sure… it was Princess."

"What? What happened with Princess?"

Her mother seemed to struggle to get the words out, maybe even trying to find which ones to say. She finally explained,

"She... held my hand. For the first time, she walked up to me without a hint of fear and reached for me. And I could feel a stirring in my soul, a calling. So I looked into her eyes… and I saw her hurt… her pain. I saw a vision of where she was from. Not entirely, but it was a cold prison. She was chained, hungry and alone… abused. And then… Asmond. She could _feel _him." She emphasized those last words.

"I… I don't understand."

"Princess has powers. She knows about the monsters in Asmond's mind, she can speak to them. Wherever she was from, they taught her how."

January rubbed her eyes. "And you… saw this in a vision she gave? Mum, you sound delusional."

"Not when I tell you the truth of who I think she—"

"Miss Taymor?" The doctor interrupted as he entered through the door.

Head snapping over, January regained her bearings and acknowledged, "Doctor Volkov." She had known him for years. He had been the one to help deliver her son.

"We have gone over the tests," Volkov began, "and physically, your son is in perfect health. Everything he was feeling remains subconscious, and that theory is fueled by the very words your little boy screamed, that there were creatures in his head. You would know better than anyone about such things." He admired January's gaze, pausing before continuing, "Your work with SHIELD to uncover such mysteries has put your son in harm's way, you know it."

"And you speak of it so openly." January's mother replied, tone harsh.

Volkov shifted his gaze, "This is a hospital reserved for those who are associated in this field of work, I do not believe I have said anything wrong." He straightened. "January, from the beginning, I always warned you about the abnormality of your pregnancy years ago. You let yourself remain exposed to the extraterrestrial and multidimensional. Look at what it's done to him."

"I had always been drawn to it." January defended. "I never got far, even after all these years. I don't see how my work could have affected my son. You speak of it as if it's paranormal."

"The monsters he talks about could be. Or he speaks with creatures you tried to reach out to!"

"I tried to find other worlds beyond our own, not speak with aliens!" She huffed and refused to argue any longer.

"Right… well…" Volkov paused, "We must continue the testing. Once Asmond has regained strength we need to transport him to the western division headquarters."

January's eyes widened. "My son will not be a subject of SHIELD testing!"

"He will be under nothing cruel and unusual, I assure you. But, this is the step to saving his life. You know there is much more we can do there than here in this case."

Biting her lower lip, January nodded. What more could they do when it came to Asmond's tortured mind? She looked over at her son, frowning as she did not see the girl.

"I'll make arrangements for departure as soon as he is healthy." Volkov concluded, his voice barely reaching January's ears. He left the room.

"Princess?" January called out, her voice no louder than a broken whisper.

Peeking her head out from under the hospital bed, the girl's wide eyes darted around the room, staring at the door where Volkov departed.

"Gone." She muttered.

She hoped he would never come back.


	13. Chapter 13

The room was quiet from the late hours that passed. January blinked her heavy eyes while brushing loose strands of hair from her sleeping son's pale face. The sheets were tucked around him in a cocoon of warmth while her tender hands brushed his cheek and made sure he was always breathing. Always. She refused to let him leave her.

"Sleeping?" The girl asked as she slowly approached the bed. She had been resting in a chair across the room with January's mother.

"He is." January replied, her voice nearly a wisp of air. "I hope his dreams bring him relief…"

Climbing onto the bed, the girl watched Asmond, locking onto his eyes that were closed. She frowned, touching his hands.

January could see how the girl grew solemn from the touch, her eyes becoming a fog.

"Now he'll have good dreams." The girl said, her voice quiet to mimic January's. It was a strange relief to January to hear her speaking in full sentences.

"How do you know?"

Looking up, the girl replied, "I told the monsters to go away."

A silence was held between them. The very first silence where both of them had nothing to say but read each other's eyes. January felt a hollowed pain when studying the eyes of the young girl. They were pleading eyes who had seen too much. Eyes that she had seen before, eyes that had begged for love. Her mother's voice continued to ring in her head. But the fear of losing Asmond had kept her from asking more questions.

"Who are you…?" January whispered, her voice unstable. "May I see what you showed my mother, sweetheart?"

"I'm just a child." The girl said, folding her hands in her lap. She looked over at the sleeping boy. "I'm just like him. We both see the monsters."

Despite her small voice, her words weighed heavy. January's mouth was cotton as she asked,

"What are the monsters?"

"They come when you're afraid." The girl replied, speaking as if everyone knew. "Bad people make them and give them to us. You can't see them unless you get given the gift."

"Princess…" January's voice trailed. Nothing made sense and she only wanted to wake from this nightmare. But why did she recognize those eyes…?

"Miss Taymor," a voice spoke, "we have to take your son."

January's head spun around to face a liaison who had intruded the room, disturbing the peace.

"No, my son is sleeping, he will not be moved!" January defied, upset that he would come at such an hour.

"There is no time." Dr. Volkov said upon entering, his face stern. The girl's appearance had instantly changed to that of a different child when hearing his voice. He gave a suspicious look towards her when January seemed to grow baffled, but all was cast aside when January's mother burst out,

"We had a few days before leaving for the SHIELD base! Why take him now?"

"We ran the test one last time and discovered that we must act now in order to save his life. We have a chopper ready in the back and we cannot waste anymore time."

The liaison took out Asmond's IVs and scooped him into his arms, instructing everyone to follow. The girl grabbed January's stiff hand as they walked along the halls and out the back. Her appearance was still unlike her own. It was an illusion of January as a child her age.

"I'll explain when we get there. Then you'll understand." January's mother whispered in her ear.

The emergency chopper flew them to SHIELD'S western division headquarters, the base filled with secrets and life. Medics rushed to transport Asmond into a medical room and get fluids pumping again. His body was failing and they were losing him fast.

The base was dark as midnight fell upon them. The further they made it to the medical room, the brighter it became, and the fluorescent lights gave January a migraine. She pinched the bridge of her nose and felt like crying again, but her eyes were too dried up.

Agents at the base began to recognize January from her previous work before and shortly after the birth of her son. It should have been a welcome reunion but her brain was too absent to notice them. Even as Asmond was pierced with needles, tested and unconscious, she could not understand the words that came from people's mouths and her vision was broken.

The girl's cold hand grabbed hers and she jumped to reality, the child's appearance returned to its normal state. They were there. SHIELD took them in and now it was nearly 4:00 am. Once again, the four of them were alone in a medical room, Asmond still sleeping while the rest of them refused to.

"Wh-What is happening to us?" January broke, her body caving forward in a heap of sobs. The girl pulled away, almost in fear of the crying.

Her mother was there in an instant, soothing,

"It's alright, Jan… we're alright."

"We are not alright!" The tears streamed. "Tell me what is happening! You seemed to know about Princess! Why won't you tell me?!"

"Shhh… shhh…" she wiped her daughter's tears. "I wanted to, but it's so overwhelming. It won't be what you expect."

"But I have to know! She knows about Asmond's monsters. If I can understand Princess, then I can understand what's going on!"

January's mother gripped her hands firmly, a fire in her eyes, a determination.

"What is the last memory you have before Asmond was born?"

January blinked, confused as she mumbled, "I… I worked here… for SHIELD and with Dr. Volkov. He delivered Asmond."

"And before that?"

"I…" January drew a blank, her mind in a fog. What had happened? Who had she been? "I remember… being afraid… I was taken away from Asmond's father and you left with me."

"Who had you been? Who had his father been? Do you remember?"

"I… no…"

"I thought not." Her mother whispered. "He took what memories he could to keep you safe."

"Who did?" January trembled. "What are you talking about?"

"Your husband. Asmond's father."

"My husband?!" January shrieked. "I am not married and Asmond does not have a father! At least I don't know who he is! What does this have to do with Princess?!"

Her mother placed her hands on her shoulders to calm her down. The girl watched from afar with wide eyes.

"January… Taymorsdottir. That's your name."

January frowned, "I don't understand–"

"Your father was an Einherjar in the palace on Asgard. You were once a great enchantress in that kingdom until your powers were stripped from you and you were banished to this realm."

January stared at her mother as if she had gone insane. She let out a humorless laugh. "You knew I tried to find realms during my search of other worlds with Dr. Volkov. Are you mocking me?"

"I would never. But I fear that your son's pain is the byproduct of your past life, and this girl has a similar story! I knew she was not human."

"Mum, you've gone insane! I can't take it anymore! Why won't you support me?! I'm already living in fear!"

"That is what you were banished for! You tried to discover these fear-induced mind monsters and Odin banished you for it!" She placed her palm on January's forehead, a warm pulse radiating as she tried to restore what memories she could from the dwindling Aesir magic she had left. "I always promised to watch over you… Loki begged me to. But I broke the promise of keeping it a secret. I cannot hold it up any longer." She brushed a tear from January's cheek. "Don't cry… he did not know you were with child."

January ran from the room, holding her head as the tears overflowed. Her mother stood, watching her depart. A shaky breath escaped her lips. She realized what she had done, all that she had said. It was so sudden. January did not deserve this.

Her head turned towards where the girl was holding Asmond's hands, and it was there that tears flowed endlessly. She understood who both of these children were.


End file.
